Ink-jet printers enable non-contact printing of both color and black and white text, graphics and digital still camera images while eliminating many types of failures or limitations encountered with older impact printers and dot matrix printers. An ink-jet printer utilizes a replaceable ink cartridge commonly referred to as a pen which is installed in a receptacle or chute of a pen carriage that reciprocates laterally during a printing operation as the paper or other print media is driven longitudinally through the printer.
Both the ink-jet pen and the ink-jet printer contain sensitive electronic components that are susceptible to permanent damage from electrostatic discharge (ESD) which can reach levels of 15 kV and higher. User insertion of a pen into the carriage of the printer is regularly required when an empty pen is replaced. The user will often build up a static charge on his or her body walking across carpet which is transmitted to the pen that is held in his or her hand. Subsequent ESD can damage the pen before it is ever inserted into the printer carriage. However, an even more costly event can occur if the ESD, during pen insertion damages an integrated circuit (IC) on a printed circuit assembly (PCA) in the carriage that is connected directly to the dimples on the carriage connection flex cable.